As a ministry leader, I’m sure you have faced a similar debate.
How vulnerable can I be, especially with the people in my ministry?
What personal things are appropriate to share online?
How honest should I be with my supporters?
Leaders who bottle everything up often become isolated, lonely, and paranoid. Leaders who overshare can damage ministry credibility, lose supporters, and invite harsh criticism.
In this complex world, where personal and professional lines are blurry at best, how do you decide how much sharing is appropriate on social media and in newsletters?
I have been leading ministries, writing newsletters, and blogging since 2006, and here are my best tidbits of wisdom on this difficult topic.
Pray. Pray a lot.
Pray about everything you make public, put in your newsletter, and post to social media. Ask God for discernment. Sometimes God leads me to be more personally vulnerable, and sometimes God whispers to me, “Morgan, I want to work through that with you first. Talk to me before you invite others into the conversation.”
Be selective.
We live in the day and age of very open social sharing, but that doesn’t mean everyone should have access to everything in your life. I like to organize what I share in three categories:
- Public – Anything I decide to make public and share openly online. This includes everything I post on social media, my ministry newsletter blast, and anything I blog.
- Group – Anything I speak or write to a specific group. This includes, networks, churches, Bible studies, and ministries. If these groups have a track record of trustworthiness, I err on the side of openness. My goal is to create safe spaces for truth in these groups. I desire to be a leader who models vulnerability instead of isolation.
- Private – I have a small group of people who I share my most intimate information with. I have trusted friends, family members, support professionals, prayer warriors, and mentors, who I can be very honest with. There are certain issues that I share only with this group. I work through personal difficulties here, before sharing them in a group or publicly.
As a minister, it’s vital to keep asking this question, “am I spending more time cultivating relationships with close friends and family than writing newsletters or posts for social media?”
Before you post, share your writing with someone you trust.
I share every Cause email with our staff before sending, and every social media post with my husband Nathan, before posting. Having extra eyes on a piece of external communication allows it to be viewed from multiple angles. Often times, Nathan will warn me of how my intent could be misconstrued, or encourage me to dig deeper, be brave, and say what I mean!
Be discerning.
Everything that we publish online is public and permanent. Like it or not, when you post, you invite others to share their thoughts and opinions. Sometimes this is wonderful, supportive and encouraging, and sometimes it gets ugly. My rule of thumb is, “when in doubt, leave it out.”
Ask yourself and God, “Is this something I am called to post about?”
I have written about a lot of topics, but I’m not called to post about every topic. Personally, I’m called to post about leadership, women’s empowerment, fundraising, and healthy ministry practices.
If you are called to share, do it responsibly.
As an organizational leader, it would be foolish to think that what I share online doesn’t effect the ministry. People read what I post, even if I post it personally, and they attribute my thoughts and opinions to The Cause. It would be irresponsible for me to not consider this before posting. Ask this question – is what you are sharing brave and God-honoring, or is it reckless?
As a ministry leader it’s vital to think through what and how you share. I pray that you cultivate a tribe of trusted people where you can experience healthy vulnerability, let your guard down, and share freely. And that when you do share publicly, God would use your words in edifying, powerful, and life-giving ways!
Photos by STIL on Unsplash
